Package inspecting machine using mirror structure



Sept. 18, 1951 w. w. PEEPLES 2,568,461

PACKAGE INSPECTING MACHINE usmc MIRROR STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 29, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WO0DROW W Pawn, INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY p 1951 w. w. PEEPLES 2,568,461

PACKAGE INSPECTING MACHINE USING MIRROR STRUCTURE Fi'led Oct. 29, 1949 2 (Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Woomow h! Fame-5.

,ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE IN SPECTING MACHINE USING MIRROR STRUCTURE Woodrow W. Peeples, Winston-Salem, NC. v Application October 29, 1949, Serial No. 124,442

This invention relates to an inspecting machine and more especially to acarton or package inspecting machine for simultaneously inspecting both sides and both ends of packages, suchas individual packages of cigarettes, although Idesire it to be understood that this apparatus can be used for inspecting any suitable objects and is not limited to the inspection of packages of cigarettes.

In the manufacture of cigarettes, the individual cigarettes are usually wrapped into individual packages of say 20 cigarettes and the stamp is also affixed thereto and then the packages are wrapped in Cellophane to render them as near moisture proof as possible. It so happens that the machine which supplies the stamps to the cigarette packages very often gets out of order and several stamps will be discharged for a single package and these stamps will be wrapped inside of the Cellophane wrapper by the Wrapping machine, thus entailing a great loss to the company during continuous operation, due to the fact that these revenue stamps are expensive.

Heretofore various means have been employed for inspecting the individual packages but in many instances it is required that the inspector turn over the packages of cigarettes so as to view first one side and then the other.

In a cigarette packaging machine the individual packages are usually expelled from the wrapping machine and are pushed by the expelling mechanism in a long straight line across a suitable platform and then into a machine which places them in cartons say of 10 packages to the carton.

In this line of travel I propose to place my inspecting machine, which will be described in detail, so that an operator, as the packages are moved along by the expelling mechanism of the wrapping machine, can inspect the same and both sides and both ends of the cigarette packages can be seen simultaneously by an arrangement of mirrors.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view of the inspecting machine disposed between two platforms over which the cigarettes are pushed;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line of 22 and Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 2.

Referring more specifically to the drawings the numeral l indicates a platform along which 1 Claim. (ores-e14) packages of cigarettes, are pushed from a processing machine such as the machine which places the cigarettes in packages, or a machinewhich places Cellophane wrappers around the same and also as they pass by the stamping machinewhere stamps are aflixed to the same before the Cellophane wrappers are applied. Numeral l I indicates a platform onto whichcigarettes are pushed by the pressure of the line emanating from the wrapping machine which wraps the Cellophane wrappers around the packages, The top surface of these platforms Ill and II are flush top with the top surface of the inspecting machine to be presently described.

The inspecting machine comprises a bottom l2, a rear wall I 3, a front wall l4, end walls l5 and It. The front and rear walls are chamfered or grooved as at for supporting a transparent pane of glass or other transparent material indicated at 2| and over which the packages of cigarettes, indicated at P, are forced by the machine which applies the Cellophane wrapper thereto. It has already been stated that the side walls 13 and H are chamfered as at 20 to receive a transparent pane of glass 2| and the end walls: l5 and [6 support planar portions [8 and I9 which are grooved as at 22 to support the end portions of the pane of glass 2|.

Immediately below the transparent pane of glass 2| is a reflecting mirror 23, which is supported by a ledge member 24 secured to the inner surface of the back wall 13 and is inserted in position and supported at its front by a slot 25 in the front wall I 4. On the inner surfaces of the end walls I5 and 16 are disposed electrical sockets and 3| in which incandescent bulbs 32 and 33 are mounted and suitable wires 34 and 35 lead to the two sockets 30 and 3| and are connected to a suitable plug 31 which can be connected to any suitable source of electricall energy for illuminating the bulbs 32 and 33.

Secured to the top edge of the back wall l3 by any suitable means, not shown, such as gluing, or it could be an integral part of the back wall i3, is a backboard 4!] which has a reflecting mirror 4| secured thereto by any suitable means such as clips 42 and 43 and, if desired, a transparent or translucent shield 44 may extend upwardly and forwardly from the upper portion of the back wall to cut down the glare from the refleeting mirror 4|.

It is seen that the top and front ends of the packages can be seen directly by the inspector, whereas, due to a well known law of physics, namely, that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection, the bottom surface of the t is mounted d th angle of the angularly p c ages can be seen in the mirror 4| as the disposed mirror being such as to reflect onto the images f e lower Su face l e reflected by vertically disposed mirror whereby the top and the angle of the disposed mirror 23, whereas the nearest end of packages partially covering t rear end of the packages P next to the mlrror 5 transparent top and being moved. across the 4' be reflected directly from the mirror 4'- transparent to can be directly visible by an in... Therefore a y unneeded Stamps appealing on spect-or standing in front of the box and the e bottom-Millet the far end of f fi lower surface of, the packages, will be reflected rettes, wfiereethe stampssare usuallyappld;.w ll by th g 1ag'1y'-disposed, reflecting mirror onto me y be Observed by the Operator and m the vertically disposed mirror, and an arcuate such defect can be corrected in the stamp apply- 7 Shade member rising from near the upper edge f mg meehine- 0 improperly wrappedpackjages' the vertically disposed mirror and extending forcan be detected or any other; irnneriectionze therr 'warm!andflthemdownwardly toward the operator in the Wrappmg m the clgaretterpa'ckages'i so'-as='to-shield the eyes of the operator from the themselves can P quickly F- x alaremhthevertic-ally disposed mirror.

In the drawings and specification there has' WOODROW W PEEPLES been set forth a preferred embodiment ofithe in? vention, and although specific terms are em- \REFERENCES CITED ployed, they are used in a: generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, 2O fg; i'g g g l fi are of record m the tfiescope of thefinvention Being-t definedin: the

r v I UNITE-D' STATES PAI ENTS" 1: a me 7 Number Name IZIate-I A package mspeetlng' machine comprising a box-alike?structure having-gastransparent top dis 35 gshfilghnessey gf 'gosed-ji-ra horizontal-plane 'amd an-angularly 'dis 9 N posedreflecting mirrordis'posed inispaced relai- Yer 19110 tiorr aard bel'ow thetransparenttop and having its front edieree'at a= higherelevation-- than it'srear edge; avertically disposed refleeting mirror,dis- 30 EOBEIGN PATENTS at-theback"side of tl'ie bex and rising --up'- Number elm ry Date- Wardivfrohrthe-planein which the transparent 557120451 GreataBritainr Aug; 23. 4 

